A Summary of R.L. Stevenson's Treasure Island | Kibin A Summary of R.L. Stevenson's Treasure Island Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here Pages: 2 This preview is partially blurred. Sign up to view the full document. Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here End of preview Upgrade to view the full document This is an unformatted preview.

Sign up to view the full document End of preview Upgrade to view the full document Treasure Island Treasure Island is s story of great sea adventure set in the 18th century when sea sailing and pirates were the order of the sea The author RL Stevenson combines bravery violence artful deceit heroism and greed for wealth into a powerful masterpiece that definitely deserves to be read at a sitting The story is mostly about how Jim Hawkins and his friends sail about the sea to find the mysterious Treasure Island which was the place where notorious Captain Flints buried his treasure after stealing it from the Spanish and other European cargoes It all begins when at Jims parent inn A sea Captain by the name Billy Bones arrives at the inn and request to be admission He remains at the inn for a while and kept warning Jim to look out for a one-legged man whom he believed to be dangerous Then one day a blind man called Blind Pew visits the Inn and gives Billy Bones the Black Spot- the mark of imminent death among pirate crews After Blind Pew leaves Billy collapses and dies of thundering apoplexy Jim finds a map in Billys sea chest just before Blind Pew returns with a band of sea pirates who wanted to find the chart of the Treasure Island Jim and his mother narrowly escapes from the Inn and leaves Blind Pew

 and his crew who ransacks the whole inn looking for the chart Jim takes the map to Squire Trelawney and Doctor Livesey who discovers that the map was telling the location of The Treasure Island where the notorious pirate and murderer Captain Flint had buried his gains Immediately the squire and the doctor decide to set sail and search for the Treasure Island The squire purchases a sturdy but rather small ship by the name Hispaniola He hires captain Smollet to head the crew and also invites the admirable one-legged Long John Silver to be the ships cook They @Kibin is a lifesaver for my essay right now!!

- Sandra Slivka, student @ UC Berkeley Wow, this is the best essay help I've ever received! - Camvu Pham, student @ U of M If I'd known about @Kibin in college, I would have gotten much more sleep - Jen Soust, alumni @ UCLA Treasure Island. contents The Plot Set in the days of sail ships and pirates Treasure Island tells of the adventures of Jim Hawkins and his search for the buried treasure of the notorious pirate Captain Flint. The story is narrated by Jim himself and begins at his parent's inn 'The Admiral Benbow'. A mysterious stranger called Billy Bones rents a room at the inn. Billy lives in fear of a 'one legged man' and continually warns Jim to keep a look out for him. One day he is visited by a fearful blind beggar called 'Blind Pew' who gives him the 'black spot' - the mark of imminent death among pirate crews. After Blind Pew leaves Billy collapses and dies of 'thundering apoplexy'. Jim finds a map in Billy's sea chest just before Blind Pew returns with a band of evil pirates. Jim and his mother only just have time to hide before the pirates start to ransack the Inn looking for the map.

Suddenly soldiers arrive and the pirates escape except for Blind Pew who is accidently trampled to death by the soldiers' horses. Jim takes the map to Squire Trelawney and Doctor Livesey who realize that it is a treasure map showing where Captain Flint - an evil and infamous dead pirate - buried his ill gotten gains. The Squire and the Doctor decide to go and find the treasure and invite Jim to come along. In a few weeks the Squire has bought a ship called the 'Hispaniola' and has hired a good crew headed by the admirable Captain Smollet. The cook is a one legged man called Long John Silver whom everyone admires. The ship sets sail and Captain Smollet immediately begins to have doubts about the trustworthiness of this crew - but no trouble develops. However, the night before they reach Treasure Island Jim over hears Silver and other members of the crew plotting to kill them all. He realises that Silver and most of the crew are actually pirates and were once members of Captain Flint's crew. Jim warns the Doctor, Squire and the Captain about the evil plans that are afoot. The Captain sends most of the pirates ashore as a reward for arriving at the Island.

Jim decides at the last moment to go ashore with them and once ashore hides in the woods that cover the Island. Whilst hiding he comes across Ben Gunn - an ex-pirate who was marooned on the island three years ago by his crew mates. Ben has renounced piracy and promises to help Jim and his friends. Meanwhile the Captain and the others have abandoned the Hispaniola and taken refuge in an old stockade on the Island. The pirates quickly realise that their plans have been discovered and attack the Captain and the others in an attempt to get the treasure map - however, for the time being the Captain and co. are safe in the stockade. Jim splits manages to sneak into the stockade and is reunited with his friends. They spend an uneasy night in the stockade and the next morning Silver approaches waving a flag of truce. Silver offers them their lives in exchange for the treasure map, the Captain refuses and soon another gunfight starts. The stockade is attacked by the pirates but are fought off, though there are men killed on both sides. Captain Smollett is also injured. Jim decides to escape from the stockade and sneaks off without telling the others.

He finds a boat that Ben Gunn had told him he had hidden and then sails out to the Hispaniola and cuts its mooring ropes. He falls asleep in the boat exhausted. In the morning he only just manages to escape from drowning as the sea has become very rough. Luckily he spots the drifting Hispaniola and manages to board her. There are only two pirates on board and one of whom has been killed in a drunken brawl by the other. After a terrifying fight Jim kills the last pirate and manages to steer the ship in a small cove. He then heads back to the stockade to rejoin his friends. The stockade is now in the hands of Silver and his mates. Jim is captured and is given the choice to join them. When he refuses the pirates want to kill him but Silver talks them out of it. Silver tells Jim that the Doctor has given him and map and also abandoned the stockade in exchange for being allowed to go free. Silver tells Jim that he is now on the side of the Doctor. At this point the pirates attempt to give Silver the black spot but withdraw it when he reveals that he has the map. They agree to go and find the treasure the next day. The treasure hunt begins and Jim is dragged along.

The weather is hot and sweaty and the pirates are edgy. When they finally reach the spot where the treasure should be hidden they discover only an empty chest - the treasure has gone! Silver immediately realises that there will be trouble and gives Jim a pistol with which to defend himself. The pirates turn angrily on Silver and are just about to attack him when there is a shot from the woods which kills one of them. The Doctor and Ben Gunn then appear from among the trees and the remaining pirates run off, heading for the remaining long boat left from the Hispaniola. Jim and his friends easily get there before them and demolish the boat. At this point Ben Gunn reveals that he dug up the treasure several years ago and it is now in his cave. Jim now takes everyone to the Hispaniola and they transport the treasure from Ben's cave to her hold. Silver still claims to be on the Doctor's side and helps them at every opportunity. Finally they set sail and leave Treasure Island and the last couple of pirates behind. They first sail the Hispaniola to America to get more crewman and moor there for one night. In the morning they discover that Silver and some of the treasure has disappeared.

Finally they return home, the Captain makes a full recovery, Ben Gunn becomes a respectable citizen and Jim swears never to go chasing treasure again. No one ever hears of Long John Silver again. The Stereotypical Image of Pirates in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island | Kibin The Stereotypical Image of Pirates in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here Pages: 2 This preview is partially blurred. Sign up to view the full document. Sign Up & Access Essays Already a member? Login here End of preview Upgrade to view the full document This is an unformatted preview.

Sign up to view the full document End of preview Upgrade to view the full document Kyle FloydApril 1 1999CP English IVMs WadePirates of Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island is a suspenseful action-packed story in which he uses the stereotypical image of pirates to captivate his audiences The pirates in Treasure Island greatly resemble that of 16th century pirates Pirates undeniably possessed an ability to persuade According to Jan Rogozinski in her book Pirates Pirates were often fisherman who traded with passing ships They would lure the ships in as if they wanted to trade and then rob them257 Actions like those are strongly reflected through the pirates in Treasure Island This ability is best emphasized through Long John Silver the main pirate in the book He is known as a ruthless man and a criminal but because of his ability to persuade he gains Squire Trelawney and Jims trust Stevenson 109 Silver owns a seafood restaurant in which Squire Trelawney often attends Squire Trelawney was so impressed with Silvers cooking that he appointed him to be the cook on the journey to find Flints Treasure Squire Trelawney takes Jim and the doctor to Long John Silvers to eat During their dinner Trel

awney is convinced by Silver that his crew is the best around Stevenson 109 Silver and his crew later commit mutiny On the journey to find the treasure Long John Silver gains Jims trust and they become friends When the treasure is finally found Floyd 2Silver takes Jim hostage in a desperate attempt to capture the treasure all for himself Stevenson 118 This portrays the uncaring image displayed by pirates Long John Silver and Jim had built a relationship based on trust Long John Silver ruined their friendship when he took Jim hostage in order to obtain the treasure mapPirates are constantly characterized as criminals who roamed the sea looking for any possible way to strike it rich Pirates lived a life full of killing stealing and searching for treasuresRogonzinski 258 This is very similar to @Kibin is a lifesaver for my essay right now!!

- Sandra Slivka, student @ UC Berkeley Wow, this is the best essay help I've ever received! - Camvu Pham, student @ U of M If I'd known about @Kibin in college, I would have gotten much more sleep - Jen Soust, alumni @ UCLA SparkNotes: Treasure Island: Character List Treasure Island Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Jim Hawkins - The first-person narrator of almost the entire novel. Jim is the son of an innkeeper near Bristol, England, and is probably in his early teens. He is eager and enthusiastic to go to sea and hunt for treasure. He is a modest narrator, never boasting of the remarkable courage and heroism he consistently displays. Jim is often impulsive and impetuous, but he exhibits increasing sensitivity and wisdom. Read an in-depth analysis of Jim Hawkins. Billy Bones - The old seaman who resides at Jim’s parents’ inn. Billy, who used to be a member of Silver’s crew, is surly and rude. He hires Jim to be on the lookout for a one-legged man, thus involving the young Jim in the pirate life. Billy’s sea chest and treasure map set the whole adventure in motion.

His gruff refusal to pay his hotel bills symbolizes the pirates’ general opposition to law, order, and civilization. His illness and his fondness for rum symbolize the weak and self-destructive aspects of the pirate lifestyle. Black Dog - A pirate and enemy of Billy. Black Dog pays an unexpected visit to Billy and threatens him. Billy attacks Black Dog, who flees but remains a herald of coming violence in the novel. Black Dog’s name symbolizes both the dark and the bestial sides of piracy. Squire Trelawney - A local Bristol nobleman. Trelawney arranges the voyage to the island to find the treasure. He is associated with civic authority and social power, as well as with the comforts of civilized country life (his name suggests both “trees” and “lawn”). Trelawney’s street smarts, however, are limited, as the ease with which the pirates trick him into hiring them as his crew demonstrates. Dr. Livesey - The local doctor. Dr. Livesey is wise and practical, and Jim respects but is not inspired by him.

Livesey exhibits common sense and rational thought while on the island, and his idea to send Ben to spook the pirates reveals a deep understanding of human nature. He is fair-minded, magnanimously agreeing to treat the pirates with just as much care as his own wounded men. As his name suggests, Livesey represents the steady, modest virtues of everyday life rather than fantasy, dream, or adventure. Read an in-depth analysis of Dr. Livesey. Captain Smollett - The captain of the voyage to Treasure Island. Captain Smollett is savvy and is rightly suspicious of the crew Trelawney has hired. Smollett is a real professional, taking his job seriously and displaying significant skill as a negotiator. Like Livesey, Smollett is too competent and reliable to be an inspirational figure for Jim’s teenage mind. Smollett believes in rules and does not like Jim’s disobedience; he even tells Jim that he never wishes to sail with him again. Long John Silver - The cook on the voyage to Treasure Island. Silver is the secret ringleader of the pirate band. His physical and emotional strength is impressive. Silver is deceitful and disloyal, greedy and visceral, and does not care about human relations.

Yet he is always kind toward Jim and genuinely fond of the boy. Silver is a powerful mixture of charisma and self-destructiveness, individualism and recklessness. Pirates of Treasure Island - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia I Love to read n write about Interesting People Pirates of Treasure Island Release date June 27, 2006 (2006-06-27) Writer Carlos De Los Rios (screenplay), David Michael Latt (story), Leigh Scott (story) Screenplay Leigh Scott, Carlos De Los Rios Cast Lance Henriksen, Tom Nagel, Rebekah Kochan, Rhett Giles, Jeff Denton Similar movies Jurassic World, Self/less, Mission: Impossible II, The Incredibles, The Expendables, How to Train Your Dragon Lowly innkeeper Jim Hawkins (Tom Nagel) and Long John Silver (Lance Henriksen) search for buried treasure on a cursed island. Pirates of Treasure Island is a 2006 American comedy-drama film produced by The Asylum, loosely adaptated from Robert Louis Stevensons novel Treasure Island.

The film was criticized as an imitation of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, particularly as was released just before, and shares several similarities with, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest. Sponsored Links Starting as a prequel to the novel "Treasure Island", we see the infamous pirate treasure buried by Billy Bones and Long John Silver Plot The story opens on Skeleton Island, an uncharted island somewhere in the Falkland Islands chain, where Long John Silver (Lance Henriksen) and Billy Bones (Justin Jones) have staged a successful mutiny against Captain Flint (Chriss Anglin). The group is attacked by gigantic insects, and retreats back to the ship. In the chaos, Long John has one of his legs torn off by a giant beetle. In the United States in 1782, Jim Hawkins (Tom Nagel) is the owner of the Admiral Benbow Inn, but has grown tired of a life of monotony and seeks adventure. One of his customers, Billy Bones, dies in his inn and leaves Jim a treasure map showing the way to a treasure buried on Skeleton Island. After gaining the help of Dr.

Livesey (Jeff Denton), Jim and Livesey recruit French mariner Captain Smollete (James Ferris), the captain of the schooner Hispaniola, to sail out to Skeleton Island, under the pretence of going to collect specimens of local wildlife. Jim and Livesey recruit Long John Silver, now using the alias of Barbecue, to act as ships cook, with Long John providing the rest of the ships crew. As the Hispanola makes its way to the island, Hawkins unintentionally discovers Long Johns true intentions: to steal the map and to hijack the Hispaniola on behalf of his own band of pirates, whom make up the ships crew. Long John plans to stage a mutiny upon arriving at Skeleton Island, and to kill the captain, Hawkins and Dr. Livesey so that all of the treasure will belong to the pirates. However, Hawkins is discovered, along with Anne Bonny (Rebekah Kochan), who had followed Jim from the inn, and gives him protection from Long John. On reaching Skeleton Island, the Hispanola is hijacked by Silver, with Smollette, Livesey and an American government official on the voyage kept prisoner on the ship whilst the others go ashore.

With the help of marooned mariner Ben Gunn (Leigh Scott), Jim and Anne Bonney escape, and race to beat Long John and the pirates to the treasure. Similar Movies Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story for Pirates of Treasure Island and Treasure Island. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story for Pirates of Treasure Island and Muppet Treasure Island. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story for Pirates of Treasure Island and Long John Silver. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story for Pirates of Treasure Island and Treasure Planet. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story for Pirates of Treasure Island and Animal Treasure Island. Main cast Lance Henriksen – Long John Silver Tom Nagel – Jim Hawkins Treasure Island Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 8:34 AM, PST NEWS 75 out of 79 people found the following review useful: Shiver-me-timbers, this is the best version of the Stevenson classic! from Los Angeles, CA 11 February 2004 Shiver-me-timbers, this is the best version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic! In fact it is a model of cinematic adaptation.

Closely following the book, with whole scenes and dialogue taken straight from its pages, the film never bogs down into the kind of stuffy lifelessness that sometimes afflicts adaptations attempting to be faithful to their literary source. Indeed Frazier Heston's screenplay and direction capture the brisk, page turning pleasure of the book nicely. Add to his sure direction, wonderful locations, a picture-perfect cast and a rousing music score by the Chieftains and you have one of the best pirate movies ever made. And for once they really are pirates and not watered down, sentimentalized versions of them. They're cut-throats all, a scurvy lot of thieves, superstitious and dirty. You can just smell their stench under the hot tropic sun and lush vegetation of Skeleton Island. Oliver Reed as Billy Bones gets the movie going smartly. We first see him with his granite visage at the head of the skiff, an old sea dog home from the sea. With his great hulk and whiskey whisper purr he exudes danger from every rum soaked pore of his being. Of course his old shipmates, the remnants of the crew of the now dead Captain Flint, are pursuing him.

Christopher Lee, almost completely unrecognizable, is Blind Pew, a spectral, skeletal figure of death, whose fury, fueled by blindness is like some great ravaging bird of prey. He is wonderful and like Reed he creates a vivid, memorable characterization. A young Christian Bale is the definitive Jim Hawkins. He narrates the proceedings and is at turns appealing, capable and wily. He is a boy on the verge of young manhood who is about to have his mettle tested with the adventure of a lifetime. There is not a trace of the Jackie Cooper mawkishness about him. Richard Johnson as Squire Trelawney, Julian Glover as Dr. Livesey, and Clive Wood as Captain Smollet are all perfect in their roles. They beautifully capture the essence of quiet courage. Heroes without phony heroics, they are solid men of character sure of themselves and quite capable of dealing with Silver and his scurvy crew. This brings us to Charlton Heston as Long John Silver. Ultimately for any version of this work to succeed it rests on the shoulder of the actor portraying the Sea Cook. Happy to say, Heston gives one of the best performances of his long career.

Turning his stalwart, forthright screen persona on its head, he creates a monster that is complex, charismatic, and bloodthirsty. There is no Wallace Beery, Robert Newton sentimentality here. This is a natural leader of men who can dazzle with his bigger than life personality and tales of treasure, and the next moment plunge his cutlass into the bowels of his victim without even missing a beat. Never has he used his toothy smile to better effect. It is the smile of a vicious carnivore-a shark. On a lighter note Nicholas Amer brings the right balance of levity and pathos as Ben Gunn, the poor maroon. He is amusing without becoming a caricature, and his scene with Jim when describes his yearning for a piece of toasted cheese is wonderful. Both Pete Postlewaite as George Merry and Michael Halsey as Israel Hands are perfectly nasty. Finally the music score by the Chieftains is superb. It captures by turns the lilting Celtic love of the sea, the grace and sweep of a great sailing ship setting out for adventure and the exotic dangers of buried treasure, pirates, flashing cutlasses, and midnight rendezvous on a far away island in the balmy tropics.

Avast, me hearties, this is a film to treasure! Was the above review useful to you? 46 out of 51 people found the following review useful: The current benchmark from Berkeley, California 17 August 2002 In Fraser Heston's production of Robert Louis Stevenson's masterpiece, an obvious labor of love by all involved, the classic tale sidesteps another excessively kid-friendly incarnation to live and breathe as Stevenson meant it to. Although its made-for-TV scale pokes through now and then, it does so only momentarily in each case. These little blinks aside, this heartfelt reading of the classic adventure is a worthy piece of work. It's still family-safe but this time there's real menace interwoven with the book's more genteel sensibilities. How a film begins is often crucial and this `Treasure Island' begins so beautifully, and correctly. A mournful pennywhistle solo ushers in an opening credit sequence that could have been filmed by the painter N.C. Wyeth, whose vision infuses many of the film's frames. I replay this sequence several times whenever I screen this film because it is so evocative.

It also perfectly sets the tone for the entire movie; beautifully done. But if they had just held the rousing, though excellent, music back a bit longer and let the sequence walk through on its own legs, it would have been one of the most perfect opening sequences ever filmed. Charlton Heston as Long John Silver? Don't laugh. His now-familiar voice occasionally surfaces through his 18th century pirate patois, but never detracts. Heston's portrayal is completely effective and is handled with restraint and relish, a fact that is evident the moment his Silver first appears. Silver emerges from the back room of his waterfront Bristol grog shop to confront Christian Bale's uneasy Jim Hawkins who, having walked into Silver's lair, is realizing that he may, quite possibly, not be walking out. Assessing Hawkins through a world-weary expression that has seen it all several times, Silver weighs his options: hear the boy out or drag him into the kitchen and slice him into the salt pork stew, at least. Heston's Silver is no buffoon.

Instead, he is a dangerous man, not unlike the Deke Thornton character in Sam Peckinpah's `The Wild Bunch'; an intelligent person who is forced to endure, and make use of, the human dregs of his time, the best of whom can hold only a dim candle to him. Cunning, quietly remorseless, always several moves ahead of everyone in sight, yet patient in the face of relentless idiocy, this Silver is also a man whose soul has not been completely flogged out of him, by circumstance or the whip. His sincere respect for the innocent courage of Jim Hawkins gives this `Treasure Island' much of its humanity. If you don't feel a pang as Heston's Long John gazes chagrined at the loot, which, for the lack of more far-sighted colleagues, would have been his, you may have the proverbial hole in your soul. `Ah bucko', says Silver to Jim Hawkins near the film's end, after Jim rebuffs Silver's last gentle attempt to manipulate him, `what a pair we would have made'. Oh yeah, absolutely.

All of the book's heroes are portrayed with heartfelt competence; the blustering Squire Trelawney (Richard Johnson), the tack-sharp, impeccably-mannered Doctor Livesey (Julian Glover), the unflinching Captain Smollet (Clive Wood), and Jim Hawkins' arch-boy (Christian Bale in his mid-teens, filled out a bit post `Empire of the Sun', bearing no resemblance to his homicidal yuppie in `American Psycho'). Arrayed against them are the scurviest sea dogs who ever weighed anchor, complete with terrifying teeth and fierce, implied body odor: Oliver Reed's tragic Billy Bones, Christopher Lee's festering Blind Pew, Israel Hands (what a great name), Silver's murderous, cobra-like shipmate, (Michael Halsey), who provides a taste of what Silver himself may have been like in his younger days, and a most convincing Ben Gunn (Nicholas Amer).

Peter Postlethwaite, the super-cool big-game hunter in the first sequel to `Jurassic Park', plays the bewildered George Merry, a man who should always flee from even the slightest ambition; someone who makes you happy to still be you, even if your 401K was riding entirely on Enron. When the time comes for action, it's delivered with conviction. Early on, the tense, hateful confrontation in the Admiral Benbow inn, between the rum-soaked Billy Bones and his scary former shipmate, Black Dog (John Benfield), is beautifully rendered, as is the berserk fight at the island stockade later in the film. To its great credit, the film never tries to be funny, or even light-hearted. It simply forges ahead, telling Stevenson's great story. But near the end comes a scene in which Squire Trelawney confronts Silver, whose schemes are now hopelessly foiled, and attempts to call the old pirate to account. What briefly transpires is the film's only real yuk, but it's a peach.

It's easy to over-romanticize the period in which `Treasure Island' is set; swashbuckling as it may now seem, it was a time before widespread bathing (the future George III's German fiancé had to be told to please take a bath after arriving in England), flush toilets, anesthesia, toothpaste, germ theory, and any notion of social justice. But it was also a time when unbroken forests still covered most of North America, when Pittsburgh was just a rough-hewn, barely defensible French fort in the midst of a trackless wilderness (near the present site of the Pirates baseball stadium; Pirates?, hmmm), a time when, given the courage, adventurous spirits still had real room to move. The slate was still largely clean. Many irreversible mistakes had yet to be made. Anyone with a taste for history and, perhaps, a discernible distaste for certain aspects of our own `advanced' age will relate well to this forthright `Treasure Island'. If you've appreciated Charlton Heston as a movie star, you'll appreciate him even more as an actor. This `Treasure Island' is probably the best that will ever be made.

A more `updated' version could certainly be produced; one that spurts more blood and exchanges more bodily fluids, with much of the book's period style and manner stripped out, but it would no longer be Stevenson, just Hollywood. Was the above review useful to you? 25 out of 27 people found the following review useful: A Treasure of a Treasure Island! from Calgary, AB, Canada 21 November 2000 One of the great literary classics is brought to life in this wonderful made for television version. An incredible cast, headed by Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, beautiful location footage and a great soundtrack from Paddy Maloney performed by the Chieftains, makes this one of the liveliest productions ever filmed. Cleverly scripted and directed by Fraser Heston, the viewer is treated to a wonderfully faithful adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's classic adventure tale. Christopher Lee is near unrecognizable in the ghastly make-up of Blind Pew. Add to that the most incredible voice-work and you have one of Mr. Lee's most fascinating characterizations. Although on-screen for a relatively short time, Pew is instrumental to the plot, and Mr.

Lee certainly makes the most of his limited time, effectively creating one of the most frightening and memorable characters. Never before, or since, has Blind Pew been quite so well played. His interaction with the late great Oliver Reed as Billy Bones at the Benbow Inn is a wonderful moment, particularly for Hammer fans. The cast includes a phenomenal assortment of remarkable actors. While Charlton Heston is less than perfectly cast, he does turn in a commendable performance and in no way detracts from the production. It is evident that he is enjoying his role. Young Christian Bale in an early performance is excellent and well cast, as Jim Hawkins. Isla Blair does a great job as young Jim's protective mother. Along for the ride we also have Julian Glover in a standout performance as Dr. Livesey. His confrontation with the swaggering Oliver Reed as Billy Bones is a high point in this film. Richard Johnson as Squire Trelawney and Clive Wood as Capt. Smollet round out the cast, with Nicolas Amer (whom I thought was actually Jasper Carrot) as a suitably deranged Ben Gunn. An exceptional cast, which fits together beautifully, results in my favorite version of this oft-filmed classic.

While at times reminiscent of some of Hammer's adventure films, it certainly benefits from modern film technique, and rightly exceeds even the best of Hammer's pirate yarns. Even if you are just checking this out for Christopher Lee's or Oliver Reed's performance, you'll find yourself engrossed in a wonderful family film and wondering why more classics aren't given such great treatment. Highly recommended! Was the above review useful to you? 24 out of 27 people found the following review useful: Superb... from USA 12 August 2002 Along with George C. Scott's performance as Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Charlton Heston's performance as Long John Silver will go down as one of the highlights of 20th century television. In an utterly amazing turn, Heston metamorphosizes chameleon-like into one of literature's most enduring villains. This is the kind of performance that needs to be seen to be believed- and believe it you will! Had Heston chosen, he could very well have become one of The Silver Screen's leading villains.

(THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS are also offered in evidence.) Superb writing and direction by Fraser Heston in aid of must also be noted. Must-see telemovie. Was the above review useful to you? 25 out of 29 people found the following review useful: The absolutely best version of Stevensons classic novel from Munich, Germany 28 November 2005 Although one of the commentaries states that he would have give 10 of 10 if the movie has been released widescreen in DTS I will give it nevertheless 10 points. This is based not on the technical side. Me as well would have greatly appreciated a Release on DVD in German Language in a Widescreen Apect Ratio but I'm afraid this Picture was shot in an 1.33 open gate Aspect Ratio due to the primary intense to broadcast it on TV (the Movie was produced by HBO). If so, a blow up to a 1.78 or wider would cut of heads or other important parts of the image.

HBO has proved a dozen times (The Last Outlaw) that it is even more able to produce absolutely high class movies than some studios or independents simply by using the essence for a good film in a way it has to be: the story. Fraser Clarke Heston who did produce, wrote the screenplay and directed the movie did a really great Job. In his fussy stile (in the most positive tenor) he tried to take the story by Louis Stevenson in an image how it was intended. He meet the fantasy of thousand of readers and involve them in the movie. They are riveted on the picture from the very first minute. This movie is perfect! The Screenplay, the arc of suspense, the Language as it was spoken at that time, the clothes as they were worn, the decoration, the dirt, the teeth, the properties, the ship, the location, the make-up, hair-dresser and even the continuity are perfect. The story is known by all. The Actors as well. Therefore an extensive comment is needless except this one sentence: It's perfect and a great enjoyment to view, watch it !! Was the above review useful to you?

25 out of 29 people found the following review useful: Fond memories from Montreal, Canada 3 August 2001 Cudoes to all those involved. The Hestons (father and son) for daring to risk a lot (in terms of reputation) on so well known a project. A superb and faithfull re-telling that still manages to surprise (the cannon scene was a beautiful coup de theatre). This loving adaptation is the only one I remember that includes the haunting image of Israel Hands slowly sinking out of sight in the water... A description I will always remember from the novel and echoed at the very end of Benchley's JAWS. This television version of Stevenson's book brought back fond memories of a teen-age summer on Prince edward Island, reading the adventures of Jim Hawkins striding the razor's edge between the honest Captain Smolett, and that band of ruffians that follow Long John Silver. Was the above review useful to you? 18 out of 20 people found the following review useful: Vote for a DVD release at TCM from United States 12 January 2006 More superlatives from me are not necessary.

I will only say that I agree with the other commenters who consider this the best version of Treasure Island made so far. What would make a difference is for it to be released on DVD. If you would like to see this version of Treasure Island released on DVD, as I do, then please go to this link: and vote for it (on the right hand side of the screen). If the link does not work or you don't care to use it, then do a Google search for Turner Classic Movies, then search on the site for Treasure Island (1990). Maybe if enough people vote for it, it will actually be released on DVD. It can't hurt. Was the above review useful to you? 20 out of 24 people found the following review useful: Beyond any shadow of a doubt, the single greatest adaptation available! from Irving, TX 10 November 2004 I read the book about 20 times a week as a kid. I saw every adaptation for the screen. Disney's was crap! Muppet was a joke. Every animated version was dumbed down. Only this one was faithful to the book. Even better, the actors were perfectly cast across the board.

Each and every pirate was terrifying. Each and every good guy seemed nice enough until the fights started, at which they were badass! This movie made me investigate the actors and I was so disappointed that they were all so wonderful in this, but they never had any better roles afterwards. All actors were great, but the standouts were Julian Glover as Dr. Livesey, Richard Johnson as Squire Trelawney, Clive Wood as Capt. Smollet, and Nicholas Amer as Ben Gunn. Christian Bale, Charlton Heston, and Christopher Lee were fantastic and perfectly cast (surprise, surprise!) For any kid, whether an actual kid or a kid at heart, let them watch this, rather than every other one (they are, to a one, crappy). Was the above review useful to you? 17 out of 19 people found the following review useful: An awesome version of a Classic!!! WHERE'S THE DVD?!?!?!? from Ewa Beach, Hawaii 22 October 2005 (it would be 10 for 10 if this were released in WIDESCREEN DTS !!!) This TNT backed (probably made for TV) version had me hooked from the first minute.

Faithfully following the tale of pirates treasure, we follow young Jim Hawkins from his fascination with Captain "Billy Bones" (a picture perfect performance by the late Oliver Reed) to his adventures aboard the Hispaniola and eventually Treasure Island. The casting is magnificent. Charlton Heston plays his Long John Silver with an air of jaded humanity that we almost empathize with him. The "good guys" are also humanized and show some of their "darker" sides in the course of the telling of the tale. I just wish this would be released on DVD. It is truly an effort of love and a tribute to the great Robert Louis Stevenson. Truly wonderful, Mateys! Was the above review useful to you? 15 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Very good movie for all ages and great performance by Heston from United States 12 August 2006 Although this was a made for TV movie, Ted Turner wanted, and got, a great movie from an old story that has been shot on the screen many times. But none, in my opinion, as good as this. Charelton Heston's performance was magnificent.

Had the movie been produced for theatrical release, I believe that Heston would have gotten nominated for yet another Academy award, as probably would have the cinematography as well. I highly recommend this movie for a delightful evening that the whole family can and will enjoy. Go ahead, pop some popcorn and find out. And for you true Charleton Heston fans, I'd also recommend another obscure title, "Mother Load." Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 5: Treasure Island Characters | GradeSaver Buy Study Guide Jim Hawkins The young (probably 13 or 14) Jim Hawkins is the narrator of the adventure that is told in Treasure Island. It is his feelings, perceptions, and emotional responses that the reader responds to and views the story through. Jim Hawkins is the typical young boy, who through no fault of his own, becomes involved in the ultimate adventure, especially for a boy of his age. Through this process, Jim transforms from someone who is merely an onlooker, to an active participant who determines his own fate by courageous, and often very risky, actions.

Although it is not due to his bravery or any special skills, it is he and not the older, more experienced men on the journey who uncover the pirates plan for mutiny, find Ben Gunn and enlist him in their cause, and steal the Hispanolia and return it to the captain. Jim thinks on his feet and by the end of the book has matured into a capable, competent boy. It is in his triumph over Israel Hands on the Hispanolia that his physically maturation is complete, and likewise, his decision not to run away from Long John Silver when urged by Dr. Livesey that his moral maturation is complete. Jim returns home to write the story and is haunted by Long John Silver and his parrot in his dreams long after his return from Treasure Island. Mrs. Hawkins Jim's mother. The only female in the book makes her only brief appearance at the beginning of Treasure Island. Her character is most revealed in the actions that she takes in order to assure that she gets what is her due from Billy Bones treasure. By being able to go back and return to the inn in the face of grave danger, she sets an example that Jim follows later in the book.

Billy Bones Billy Bones is the first pirate that Jim meets in the book - his appearance (ragged, scarred, ponytail, and a cut on his check) signals the end of tranquil at the inn. Despite his drinking (especially rum) and singing a song that is clearly a pirate tune, his seeking out the Admiral Benbow inn is a sign that he does not want to be captured. Although Billy Bones demonstrates this dubious behavior, Jim is not afraid of him and even enjoys the excitement that the seaman brings to the otherwise isolated island. In return, Billy Bones is kind to the young boy. Billy Bones is a precursor to one side of Long John Silver's personality, the kind, gentle, parental side that is present when he aligns with the "good" men. Although he is blustery, beneath it all he is good-hearted. Jim is genuinely sad when he passes away at the end of the first part of the book, from a stroke. Dr. Livesey From the moment that Dr. Livesey appears in Treasure Island, he is depicted as an arbitrator who is fair, intelligent, fearless, and well-organized.

As he becomes involved in the treasure hunt, he also shows consideration and kindness to Jim, thus, becoming one of many surrogate parental figures to Jim in the course of the novel. Dr. Livesey is also a narrator of the novel (although only for a few chapters). These chapters are not nearly as colorful or as emotionally charged as the chapters that are narrated by the younger Jim. His descriptions further his characterizations as a scientist, who is most concerned with curing the sick (he repeatedly mentions the malaria present in the swamps). Dr. Livesy is also extremely concerned with fairness to all, as his concern about the pirates that they had to leave behind demonstrates. Black Dog A companion of Billy Bones, his arrival at the Admiral Benbow inn marks the beginning of violence at the inn and the notification to Bones that other pirates know of his whereabouts. Although he and Billy Bones are friendly, their meeting ends in a fight where Billy Bones is injured. Pew Pew is another character who arrives at the Admiral Benbow in order to try and ambush Billy Bones and find the treasure map.

Pew is described vividly, at first as a blind old man who "rat-tap-tap" with his stick but, deceptively, also an evil, mean adversary who is willing to use physically prowess in order to cower those around him. Pew foreshadows another side of Long John Silver, the side that is physically challenged but capable of extreme violence. At the end of part I, Pew is trampled by a horse because his friends abandon him. Squire Trelawney Squire Trealwney is the figure in the book who finacially underwrites and initiates the treasure hunt. Although he appears to be on top of things, he often makes mistakes and his hiring of Long John Silver and the mutineers tops the list of misjudgments and miscalculations which lead to the downfall of the journey. He is very naïve and trusting, and, thus, is constantly being duped. His best quality is his ability to shoot straight - throughout the novel, he is given the jobs that require the best shot because of his famous aim.

Captain Smollett The commander of the Hispanolia is the antithesis of the squire, he is perceptive, smart, and scared of the dangers that lie before the journey, an attitude that proves correct. He demands obedience from those who serve under him and is in conflict with both Jim, who shows a rebellious nature against the authority figure, and the squire, whose authority he does not respect. Redruth The Squire's servant, he accompanies the crew on the island but is one of the first "good" men to die, as the group attempts to take the stockade. Long John Silver Long John Silver is an old sailor cook, the leader of the pirates, and one of Jim's friends. This dynamic character has only one leg, and is usually accompanied by his parrot, Captain Flint, who hollers "Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight." Many critics claims that Long John Silver is the novel's real hero, and not Jim Hawkins or Flint's treasure. Evidently, Robert Louis Stevenson agreed with this assessment, as he initially entitled this novel, "The Sea Cook." Throughout the novel, Long John Silver clearly possesses a dual personality (thus, many critics also view Long John Silver as a precursor to Dr.

Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). It is thought that Silver combines two pirate characters that appear before Silver makes his appearance in this novel. First is Billy Bones, the blustering buccaneer who is basically good hearted and kind to Jim, and the blind beggar Pew, a deformed, apparently harmless but who is in fact very strong and extremely cool. At times, Silver shows extreme kindness and a paternal liking for the young narrator. At other times, however, Silver, although deformed like Pew, shows extreme brutality and cruelness in killing other sailors. Robert Louis Stevenson paints this character much more vividly than any of the "good" or "bad" characters and Long John Silver is not "good" or "bad" but rather a composite of both. Because of his openness about his greediness and mercileness, his pursuit of the gold seems more justified than the greediness and evilness of the "good" characters. This character is based on the Stevenson's friend, the poet W.E. Henly, who lost one of his feet. Of all the characters painted in Treasure Island, Long John Silver is the most vivid, most remembered, and most picturesque.

Israel Hands Israel Hands is a member of the "bad" pirates and shows a clearly evil' side, as someone who is crafty and cunning in all that he does. His philosophy is that of "live or die," someone who kills in order to not be killed. On the Hisapnolia, he too shows a side that is lively and parental to Jim - Jim almost forgets to be wary of the character because he has too much enjoyment beaching the schooner. Israel Hands is the first person that Jim actually kills, something that he feels no remorse for. Ben Gunn Ben Gunn provides comic relief in the island, a breath of fresh air in a very tense part of the book. A member of Flint's original crew, Ben Gunn was marooned on the island for three years and forced to survive on his own. He stumbled upon Flint's treasure and buried it, thus saving it from the pirates that try to kill Silver and Jim. He is nice to both Jim and the rest of Jim's group, and provides the means for escape. Although the pirates characterize him as stupid, he shows his agility and smartness in surviving the island. He returns with the rest of them, although spends his part of the treasure in only three weeks.

Question: In R.L. Stevenson's novel 'Treasure Island' which of the pirates was the ship's cook?
Answer: LONG JOHN SILVER